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Old August 6, 2007, 10:42 PM   #26
ZeSpectre
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Range day

Took the "twins" out to the range today.

SIG 229 (9mm) - Militec-1 testing
100 rounds of fairly dirty range ammunition. Weapon functioned flawlessly (now up to 250 rounds with only bore/barrel cleaning). The Militec-1 grease is clinging tenaciously to the slide rails and seems to be keeping the powder fouling out for the most part. The remainder of the pistol is dry of any detectable lube but the surfaces still have that "slick wax" feeling. Did notice a tiny bit of corrosion in the grip screw slots (my usual trouble area) after carrying the weapon for most of a week. As far as lubrication and cleanup are concerned the Militec-1 is holding up fine. Corrosion protection seems to be adequate so far but not especially impressive.

SIG 229 (.40 S&W) - Weapon Shield testing
120 rounds of reloads from a trusted source. (The powder was absolutely FILTHY though) bringing this weapon up to 210 rounds with only bore/barrel cleaning. Once again Weapon Shield only required a little brushwork to remove the lead from the barrel (only slight leading was present anyway). This powder fouling caked all over the innards of the gun but the weapon continued to function flawlessly through several close combat drills. Disassembly showed a lot of powder mess building up on the rails and the breechface but the weapon shield CLP seems to be keeping everything lubricated and slippery in spite of how UGLY it all looks right now. IMPORTANT NOTE: The grip screw slots are still clean and corrosion free after over a week of daily carry (some hot and sweaty weather too!).

So at this point Militec-1 and Weapon Shield are both holding their own in my "real world" testing. However Weapon Shield is (in my mind) slightly ahead due to some apparently superior corrosion protection.
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Old August 13, 2007, 03:16 PM   #27
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Final range day and the conclusion of the testing.

Made one more mid-day trip to the range before I start my new job. I'm going to miss having the whole range to myself in the future

Anyway here's the results for both lubricants...

SIG 229 (9mm) - Militec-1 testing
250 rounds of Remington UMC ammunition.

The weapon continued to function flawlessly right up to the conclusion of the test. At this point there was a notable amount of powder fouling present but all functions of the pistol were smooth and reliable. The lubrication abilities of Militec-1 lube seem to be holding up well. The only issue seems to be the definite indications of corrosion in the screw slots on the grip (side that faces my body).

Cleanup of the pistol was pretty easy. It was like cleaning a Teflon coated frying pan and it just seemed like all the crud just about wiped off with little effort on my part. The barrel required some Hoppes #9 solvent but very little effort after that.

SIG 229 (.40 S&W) - Weapon Shield testing
250 rounds of reloads from a trusted source. This was the last of the same batch I used before and as a reminder the powder was still absolutely FILTHY. The innards of this gun were just caked with fouling and I have to say it was really tough on my "neatnik" soul to let it get to this point!

As with the 9mm version, this gun functioned flawlessly through the entire test. Field stripping revealed rails FULL of an ugly sludge of fouling and dirt and Weapon Shield, yet the Weapon Shield was still lubricating and slippery in spite of all the contamination. Given how smoothly the slide racked I was astonished at the sheer amount of gunk that had built up. It operated like a clean weapon.

Cleanup was a bit more involved than the Militec-1 gun, but not much and I really blame that on the dirty powder used. Basically I still just had to wipe things down, (again, a lot like cleaning a Teflon coated pan) it just took a few more patches and a little more time because there was just so much crud to wipe away.

Also there is still no corrosion on the grip screw slots!

In some ways I feel like this wasn't quite a fair test because the .40 ammo I was using was so unbelievably DIRTY that it was like I had shot the .40 almost twice as much as the 9mm.

Conclusions....
So I realize that my "method" is only semi-scientific and that there are a lot of variables unaccounted for. I also realize that there are about a zillion other factors that could be examined (like metal hardness, and other high end testing) but in the end my "real world" testing conclusions are as follows.

Militec-1 and Weapon Shield are both top notch lubrication. My observations indicate that both products lubricate better, and create less mess, than my previous standby of Breakfree CLP.

Weapon Shield seems to be a better cleaner than Militec-1. If you clean a weapon with other chemicals, and -then- treat it with Militec-1 then it seems like the weapon is "teflon coated" and it becomes very easy to clean thereafter. However it does seem that you can clean a weapon right from the start with Weapon Shield. In order of apparent cleaning ability I would say it's Weapon Shield, and then Breakfree CLP and then Militec-1.

Last but not least, corrosion protection. I ran the test George suggested earlier on a bit of old gun barrel. The results were actually kind of shocking! (Stupidly, I screwed up and deleted the pictures I took and I have already thrown out the metal so no pictures... I'm very sorry ). Militec-1 did TERRIBLY in terms of corrosion protection. Not as bad as bare, degreased, metal, but seriously not much better. Breakfree CLP did better and Weapon Shield was the best of the group by a large margin. On a smaller scale the same results were shown by the infamous grip screw slots on my SIG pistols.

It should be obvious to all by now that I'm not prone to leaping on the "hey this new stuff is great" bandwagon until I've tested to my own personal satisfaction. Well after about a month of investigation I have to say this... I'm convinced, Weapon Shield does a good job and I placed an order for more last night.

P.S. Loading 500 rounds into magazines SUCKS! Next time I remember my speedloader or I'm NOT doing that again! oooh my poor thumb!)

Last edited by ZeSpectre; August 14, 2007 at 03:13 PM.
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Old October 11, 2007, 03:30 PM   #28
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Long overdue update

Let's see, it's been about two months since the last post. Since then I've been using just Weapon Shield for cleaning and lubrication (with the exception of using a foaming bore cleaner for heavy copper removal).

I've also been using very light applications of the "Lithi-Shield" grease on the rails of various guns.

The "Twins" have continued to perform flawlessly and cleanup after each session continues to be a breeze (I've run about 800-900 rounds through each since the last update).

I have been "ignoring" the screw slots on my carry gun (haven't been wiping them down) and finally after the last range session saw that there was just the faintest hint of corrosion starting to show. A quick wipedown with Weapon Shield removed it easily. So that's nearly THREE MONTHS for even a hint of rust to show on a known trouble spot even after a lot of concealed carry and handling/shooting.

In the interest of complete disclosure, I did have one trigger spring (Maverick 88 shotgun) that seemed to develop a sort of "watery" rust pretty quickly after treatment. I have absolutely no idea why this particular spring did this when there hasn't been even a hint of corrosion on 15 other guns I've been treating, but there it is.

Pulled the spring, cleaned it well with Weapon Shield, and it's been fine since.

EDIT - In another thread someone is mentioning something new called Gunzilla. The timing is perfect as I'm getting a brand new gun (NOT treated with Weapon Shield) so I may be able to do another comparison run. If so I'll post it here and continue this "test" thread.
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Old October 11, 2007, 05:16 PM   #29
JBP55
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My 1oz bottle is almost empty so I ordered two 4oz bottles from M-P Store. Weapon Shield is the best CLP I have ever used.
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Old October 16, 2007, 09:01 PM   #30
ZeSpectre
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Gunzilla sample recieved

In order to avoid confusion I'll be doing the Gunzilla review in this thread
Product testing and Review: Gunzilla
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Old February 20, 2008, 08:23 PM   #31
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The work that's gone into the reviews here deserves to be bumped back up for review. Having carefully studied the thread, I'm wondering what products Militec users can employ for preserving their arms? What's the best all round preserving agent? BreakFree used to be recommended by many of the gun writers, and I vaguely recall that it seemed to hold up fairly well in salt spray tests. (Since I only have one blued handgun and one blued rifle, the rest being stainless, lubrication is my primary concern.)

Since this thread was first posted, does anyone have any recommendations for good gun cleaning, lubrication and/or preservation products?
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Old February 20, 2008, 08:26 PM   #32
ZeSpectre
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Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad folks find my posts helpful.

Several months later and I'm still using Weaponshield and still very happy with it. Gunzilla was great for cleaning, I've just been lazy and haven't ordered any more.
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Old February 20, 2008, 08:48 PM   #33
rgates
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I'm still using Weapon Shield on everything. I'm impressed enough with how well it cleans, lubes and protects, I haven't even bothered to try anything else and probably won't. I'm about ready to order more though.
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Old February 20, 2008, 09:46 PM   #34
Cold Steel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ZeSpectre
Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad folks find my posts helpful.
Actually it's we who owe you the thanks. If not for folks for you, we'd be at the mercy of the marketeers. I know how fleeting these threads can be and sometimes hard work needs to be revisited, not only for our sakes, but to make your time and efforts, and the time and efforts of others, worthwhile.

BTW, does your unique body chemistry react adversely with stainless steel as well as standard carbon steel? (I had a friend who couldn't touch anything without leaving a corrosive fingerprint. That's why I first started buying BreakFree!)
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Old February 21, 2008, 07:01 AM   #35
ZeSpectre
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I seem to get along with stainless pretty well though I do still need to wipe it down once in a while. Regular steel that is well coated (blued, parkerized, etc) does okay but I'll raise rust/find the weak spots on any poor blue-job stupidly fast so I have to be pretty careful with that. (same with a lot of tools ) I'll also turn silver BLACK and copper green at a pretty rapid rate.

Must be something about being a redhead 'cause I've heard of others with the same issues.
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Old February 21, 2008, 03:44 PM   #36
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Quote:
I'm wondering what products Militec users can employ for preserving their arms?
So you are looking for a product to make up for Militec's poor corrosion resistiance? Yet you will continue to use Militec?
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Old February 21, 2008, 07:48 PM   #37
JBP55
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Weapon Shield, Works great as a CLP.
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Old February 21, 2008, 08:45 PM   #38
Boris Bush
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I have been useing Militec for a long time and so have many of my co-workers. We still use CLP on the outer rustable surfaces. Militec works better than all the hype. Where the metal wasn't treated with Militec, the dust began. It is like it repels dust dirt and anything that might want to stop your rifle. Cleanings went faster, and it worked so well at work I brought it home and use it on my personal weapons. The stuff is unreal!

As for corrosion, I train in every type of enviroment you could imagine and have NEVER had a problem with rust ever on any of the treated portions of my weapons.

A little goes a loooooooooooong way and lasts longer, so I do not have to re-apply every cleaning.
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Old February 21, 2008, 08:51 PM   #39
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Well, MILITEC-1 doesn't claim to be a CLP. Don't rightly know about WeaponShield, though it's name implies it probably preserves, but it may not be the best at that.

This has been a confusing topic, frankly, because I'm not a lube expert. When a good lubricant becomes a good preserver, does it introduce any particles or properties that alter its lubrication capability in any way?

What about Eezox Synthetic Gun Oil and Kano Kroil Penetrating Oil and Bore Cleaning Solvent? I've heard good things about both of these.

But where does the hype end? Based on Ze's review, I'm probably going to try both WeaponShield and MILITEC-1. I've alro read other reports where the latter was still detectable in a barrel even after many rounds had been fired through it. I can tell you that didn't happen with BreakFree! BreakFree might have increased velocity for a clip or two of ammo, but then it kind of blew out and was gone.

But in answer to you, Tempast45, yep, I would buy MILITEC-1 despite its poor corrosion resistance unless I could be absolutely sure that WS would be just as effective a lube and add the protection I was after.

I'm sorry Ze lost those photos. I am getting a free sample of Militec being sent to me and I'm anxious to see if it will increase the reliability of some of my little guns. I have one small .32ACP made by Bryco or something like that, which I found in my safe. Looks like it's never been shot and I have a full box of .32 ammo. Can't decide to shoot it or sell it.

Makes a great paperweight and has a purty nickel finish.
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Old February 24, 2008, 09:46 AM   #40
rgates
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I've been using Weapon Shield long enough now that even though a little goes a long, long way I'm down to about 1/4 left out of a 16oz. bottle.
A couple things of note that might answer your questions about it;

It's definitely still there even after a day of shooting. After treating one and then a day of shooting again, the next cleaning goes easier. I noticed even more improvement in ease of cleaning on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th cycle.

As a lube. Everything works lighter and smoother. My son thought I had done some trigger work on my Makarov. It improved it that much over any other oil I've used.

As a protectant. When I first started using WS I stll used a silicon cloth on the outer blued finishes. On my ccw pc. (carried in leather) I always noticed after an hour or two it would look blotchy. It was suggested to try WS for the finish and after I did I carried the same pistol in the same leather holster the next day for 9 hours. Still looked good. I put it away without even wiping it down that night and did the same over the next two days. Still looked good. I threw away the silicon cloths just like my other cleaning solvents and oils.

I've not used Miltec so I can't offer any comparison. I was about to order some to try when I got a sample of Weapon Shield and was so impressed I don't feel the need to try anything else.

BTW, the big plus in my wife's opinion is no strong chemical smell. I can clean them now in the kitchen and every time I do she comments that she's glad I got the Weapon Shield.
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Old March 7, 2008, 11:10 PM   #41
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Years ago I heard of a fellow who left a gun in a safe in a zippered cloth case. He's left the gun wrapped in a rag which he'd sprayed with silicon. Some months later he opened the case and there, where the silicon rag had been wrapped around the gun, was a light layer of surface rust. Where the rag had not touched the gun, rust was not present.

So he wondered why it was that this part of the gun had corroded, the very part that had been exposed to the silicon. He'd brought the gun into a gun store I frequented, but I wasn't there when he brought it in, but I remember hearing others talking about it.

I just got a free sample of MILITEC-1, some oil and grease, and am going to try it out. Does WS also offer samples?

Also, one of the things about CLPs that makes them unsuitable for many is that they become sticky. In Iraq and Afghanistan, this is remedied by constant cleaning of one's weapons. I'm curious as to whether WS is as sticky as BreakFree, which is what I've been using for years.
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Old March 8, 2008, 12:15 AM   #42
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Cold Steel

I used it in Iraq every day and it was better than anything they ever said it could do. It kept my weapon running through the harshest of conditions. My weapon went upto 3 days of combat sometimes without time to clean and ran longer between cleanings. I will use nothing but militec1 while at war, and nothing but militec1 on the weapons I use to protect myself and my family here at home...
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Old April 4, 2008, 06:30 AM   #43
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When using Weapon Shield to clean and lubrificate your gun, do you use anything else to remove lead and above all copper from the bore ?
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Old April 4, 2008, 01:36 PM   #44
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I still use a foaming bore cleaner (Outers) for copper fouling. On a gun that has been treated with Weaponshield I seem to have good lead removal with just some WS and a bore brush.
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Old June 20, 2008, 09:41 AM   #45
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One year later

We've crossed the one year mark and I thought I'd do a "long term" update for anyone interested.

I've settled into a routine of using the following chemicals.
1) Outers foaming bore cleaner (to remove copper fouling).
2) Gunzilla (for heavy powder fouling and especially to help remove the plastic snot from my shotgun barrels).
3) WeaponShield to lube and protect.

Militec 1 fell by the wayside. It apparently works great for some folks but my "rust promoting" body chemistry and Militec 1 just didn't get along where corrosion protection was concerned <sigh>.

In spite of my "rusting" body chemistry and spending an extended period inside gun sleeves/cases/socks while we moved and got settled into the new place, all of my firearms are just about spotlessly clean and completely corrosion free.

The grip screws of my carry SIG 229 continue to be the "canary-in-the-coal-mine" indicator of corrosion (what IS the deal with those damned screws?) but the worst they've gotten is just a faint hint of corrosion and a quick rub with Weaponshield on a q-tip and the problem is gone for another month or so (longer if I remember to wipe 'em down once in a while).

Wear n' tear on all my firearms seems to be well under control with no indication of lubrication failure and all of my firearms continue to operate smoothly.

All three of the chemicals in question also function with just a bare minimum amount used per cleaning so I also feel that I'm getting very good value for my money from all of the products

So one year later we have three easy to use (and easy on the nose) chemicals, a stable of happy firearms, and one satisfied gun owner.
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Old June 20, 2008, 11:03 PM   #46
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ZeSpectre, thanks for the update . I appreciate the information and the followup. Good to have a long term test and report back to us what you've like better.

Thanks again. Jake
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Old June 21, 2008, 09:24 PM   #47
rgates
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Hard to believe it's been a year. I've used nothing but Weapon shield since except for Sweets for heavy copper.
Thanks Ze for starting these threads on lubes a year ago and all the info they brought out.
When you made that first post I was searching and experimenting to find a better product and thanks to you and George, I'm very satisfied with the results.
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Old June 22, 2008, 06:24 PM   #48
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Another satisfied user of Weapon Shield here.
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